Wednesday, 9 January 2008

As well as being one of the greatest English novelists of all time, and a celebrated performer of his own and others' work, Charles Dickens also found time to have ten children with his wife Catherine née Hogarth, with her obviously doing most of the work.

Here are their names, with associations attached:

Charles Culliford (Charley) Dickens (1837-1896)

The only Culliford I could find was a 17th century pirate, so this first child's name may not have much significance.

Mary (Mamie) Dickens (1838-1896)

Mary was named after her mother's sister who died the year before Mary was born. Mamie, as she was called, later wrote a memoir My Father As I Recall Him, which is online here.

Bulwer-Lytton was a hugely popular writer of the time, nowadays mostly forgotten except as the author of the inimitable first line, "It was a dark and stormy night".

So, with the exception of the two literary giants Fielding and Tennyson, Dickens named his children after leading literary figures of his circle, one or two of whom were also personal friends. Nonetheless, I find that little foible quite charming. To be so immortalised by one of the giants, in such an intimate way, must have been considered quite an honour. How different from the leading figures of the culture today, who call their children Brooklyn, or Fifi Trixibelle, or Lourdes.